1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus used in conjunction with the cleaning of heat exchanger tubes. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for the extraction of heat exchanger tube bundles from heat exchange shells, which apparatus is capable of being operated either while mounted on an extendible rigid boom or while being suspended from a crane.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heat exchangers are used for the transfer of heat from one fluid medium to another. One of the fluids passes through a series of conduits, or tubes, while the other passes on the outside of the tubes. During this process, carbonaceous and calcareous deposits form on the interior of the individual tubes. Debris and other dirt collects on the surface of the individual tubes. To maintain efficient operation, it is necessary to periodically remove the tubes and clean their interior and exterior surfaces.
Numerous patents discuss various methods of cleaning the tubes. Exemplary of these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,903,912, 3,817,262, 3,901,252, and 4,856,545. Before the tubes can be properly cleaned, it is typically necessary to extract the tube bundle from the shell of the heat exchanger and relocate the bundle at a location more convenient for cleaning. Removal of the tube bundle is desirable in order to facilitate access to both the outside and the inside of the tubes during the cleaning of the tubes. Removal of the tube bundle from the shell is also required in order to allow for the moving of the bundle to a location where the tubes can be cleaned more easily. Heat exchangers are often located in cramped areas and/or above ground level, which makes it inconvenient or even impossible to clean the tubes without relocating the tube bundle to a more accessible location.
Heat exchanger tube bundle extractors typically function by attaching themselves to both the heat exchanger shell and the heat exchanger tube bundle and then pulling the tube bundle out of the shell so as to free the tube bundle and allow it to be transported to a convenient location for cleaning.
Heat exchanger tube bundle extractors are typically mounted in one of two ways. The majority of known extractors are designed to operate while suspended from a crane. In an alternative mode, the extractor can be mounted onto an extendible rigid boom.
Bundle extractors suspended from a crane are disclosed and/or claimed in a number of patents, among them U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,180,498; 3,239,076; 3,567,044; 3,836,015; 4,227,854 and 4,323,398. A bundle extractor mounted onto an extendible rigid vertical boom is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,072. Rigid extendible booms are generally disclosed in a number of patents, among them U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,990,072, 3,174,634, 3,335,879, 3,836,025, and 4,382,743.
Each of the known heat exchanger bundle extractors is thus designed to either be mounted onto a rigid extendible boom or to be suspended from a crane but not both.
It would be desirable to have a single heat exchanger bundle extractor which is capable of being readily adapted so that it could function either mounted onto a rigid extendible boom or suspended from a crane, at the will of the operator. Having a bundle extractor which can be used in either of these modes increases the operational flexibility of the device and its usefulness. Depending on the circumstances, either of the two modes may be the more convenient and economical in any particular situation.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a heat exchanger tube bundle extractor which features means which renders the tube bundle extractor capable of being used, at the will of the operator, either while mounted onto a rigid extendible boom or while being suspended from a crane.
While there are numerous other disclosures directed to bundle extractors, none discloses or suggests a bundle extractor capable of optionally functioning either mounted onto a rigid extendible boom or suspended from a crane.